Winningthechristianway

WINNING: THE CHRISTIAN WAY        Matthew 16:24-28

            Christopher Winans, in his book, Malcolm Forbes: The Man Who Had Everything, tells of a motorcycle tour that Forbes took through Egypt in 1984 with his Capitalist Tool motorcycle team. After viewing the staggering burial tomb of King Tut, Forbes seemed to be in a reflective mood. As they were returning to the hotel in a shuttle bus, Forbes turned to one of his associates and asked with all sincerity: “Do you think I’ll be remembered after I die?”                                                                                                 Forbes is remembered. He is remembered as the man who coined the phrase, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” That was the wisdom of Malcolm Forbes. In fact, that was his ambition. That’s why he collected scores of motorcycles. That’s why he would pay over a million dollars for a Faberge egg. That’s why he owned castles, hot air balloons and countless other toys that he can no longer access.                                                                            The Lord Jesus Christ gave us words of superior wisdom when he said, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). It is a fatally deficient wisdom that declares “He who dies with the most toys wins.”                                                                                                                       Yet, this is the philosophy of many in society today. Time, energy, and resources focus upon seizing temporal gains to the neglect of the soul. Every day reports are given about celebrities getting a new multi-million dollar contract or building a new mansion or opening a new line of clothing. Tycoons parade their wealth and power in magazines that the public eagerly grabs, hoping in some way that it might rub off! Some achieve grand goals and obtain the prizes of this world, only to lose the solitary thing that exists beyond the grave. These find what most of the world longs to possess but lose everything in the end.

            This sermon series has been about us thinking about our walk with the Lord. Is it where it needs to be? Would things be different if I knew life would end in the next thirty days? If so, then how? In our passage, this morning, we are going to look at a pattern that Christ spelled out in our text for winning: the Christian way. So take your Bibles and turn to the first book of the New Testament: the Gospel of Matthew and the sixteenth chapter. Follow along as I read our passage this morning – Matthew 16:24-28.                                                                                                              This passage not only speaks to the self-consuming culture that we live in, but also to the contemporary church, which has become self-consumed. John MacArthur is correct when he said, “Many people wish to identify themselves with Christianity only for what they can get out of it. They view Jesus as a utilitarian genie, fulfilling every whim. Some in the Charismatic movement say Jesus wants to make you healthy, wealthy, and happy. If you are not all those things, then you supposedly don't have enough faith to appropriate what's yours. They claim Christianity is designed so you can get everything you need and want. Even evangelicals and fundamentalists through the years have been guilty of propagating a Jesus who is a panacea for everything. They promote the get without the give, and the gain without the pain. Self-esteem promoters tell us Jesus came to boost our self-image. But they have fallen victim to narcissism--the pervasive self-love of contemporary society. Coming to Jesus Christ to get material things is a prostitution of divine intention. It is true that when you come to Christ you receive and continue to receive blessings from Him. But there must be a cross before a crown, suffering before glory, and sacrifice before reward.”                                                                        Jesus’ words, in this passage, tell us how to win the Christian way. The key is that you win by losing. I want to give you a principle and three practical lessons from Jesus’ teaching. First, let us understand the principle.

THE PRINCIPLE OF SELF-DENIAL – 24                                                    In order for us to understand the principle that Christ told his disciples, we must first back up to the verses that precede this text. Jesus has been teaching the twelve that he is the Messiah promised by God through his teaching and works. They got this truth because in Matthew 16:13-16, Jesus asked them, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they gave him the crowds answer, but then he asked, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter, the spokesman for the group, responded by saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”                                                  The understood that he was the Christ, but their understanding of the Christ was like the rest of the Jews. The Messiah would come set up an earthly kingdom and reward his servants, who would enjoy all the benefits of belonging to him. But Christ told them in verses 21-23 of the sixteenth chapter that he must suffer, die, and be raised on the third day. Yet, Peter who just made this great confession rebuked Jesus for this crazy notion. Folks, what we have to remember is that the servant is not above the master and Christ’s death will only be of value if we are willing to die to sin and self.  So Jesus teaches them and us the principle of self-denial.                                                                                                  To really understand this verse, we could translate it this way: If anyone wishes to be counted as an adherent of Mine, he must once and for all say farewell to self, decisively accept pain, shame and persecution for My sake and in My cause and must then follow and keep on following Me as My disciple.                                        Let me take a few minutes to look at this verse a little more closely. There are three things Jesus stated about coming after him must be true: deny self, take up his cross, and follow me.                                   The first thing is to deny self. What does this mean? It means to renounce your yearning to possess, your desire for power, your desire for the favor of men, and seeking human glory. In other words, it is to renounce the old self by giving up reliance upon it and depending on God alone for salvation. You no longer promote your self-interests but you promote the glory of God.                          Denying self carries the idea of allowing Christ to rule over your life. You are no longer your own because you have been bought with a price. Paul declared himself a bond-servant to Christ meaning that he would do whatever his master wanted him to do. This kind of thinking goes against the grain of culture and even human nature itself. Human nature says look after number one. Only through the grace of God and the work of the Spirit can this be done. So the first thing is to deny self.                                                     An unknown author wrote about self-denial in this way: Suppose you have been neglected or unforgiven. You sting with the hurt of the insult from such an oversight, but your heart is happy because you have been counted worthy to suffer for Christ. That is what dying to self is all about. When your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, and your opinions ridiculed, and yet you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or try to defend yourself, you are practicing dying to self. When you lovingly and patiently stand face to face with folly and spiritual insensitivity, and endure it as Jesus did, you have died to self. When you are content with any food, money, clothing, climate, society, solitude, or interruption by the will of God, you have died to self. When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, record your own good works, or desire commendation from others, you are dying to self. When you can honestly rejoice with a brother who has prospered and had his needs met, and never feel any envy though your needs are greater and still unmet, you have practiced dying to self. When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself, and humbly admit he's right with no resentment or rebellion in your heart, you have died to self. Are you dead yet?                                                                                       The second thing is to take up your cross. What were the disciples thinking about on that dusty road in Caesarea Philippi two thousand years ago when Jesus said, "Take up his cross"? First century Jewish historian Josephus tells us that eight hundred Jews were crucified in Jerusalem over one hundred years before (Antiquities 13.14.2). After a revolt following the death of Herod the Great, the Roman proconsul Varus crucified two thousand Jews (Antiquities 17.10.10). Crucifixion was a common practice in the Roman Empire.                                                                                              When Jesus said, "Take up his cross," the disciples saw poor condemned souls marching along a road with the instrument of their own death strapped to their backs. Carrying one's cross meant walking to one's death. That's what the Lord wanted them to see. The disciples needed to perceive that following Christ was like putting on the instrument of their own execution. All but one of the twelve died as martyrs. Most of you won't be martyred, but you will bear reproach and ridicule if you live for Christ (2 Tim. 3:12). You must be willing to suffer the indignities of a condemned criminal in service to Christ, should you be called to do so.                            Finally, Jesus said, “Follow me!” He has stated this to the disciples and now it is being stated to us. To follow Christ, is what John Broadus called, “the great duty of imitating Christ.” Following Christ is simply living obediently. Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). William Hendriksen says this: “One follows Christ by trusting in Him, walking in His footsteps, obeying His commandments out of gratitude for salvation through Him, and being willing even to suffer in His cause.”                                                     So the principle of self-denial is found in verse 24. in the remaining verses, Jesus builds on the principle with three practical lessons.

PRACTICAL LESSON 1 – SELF FIRST LOSES HIS LIFE                          Jesus, in verse 25, teaches that those who are only interested in themselves will never find satisfaction. This is illustrated by O. J. Simpson, in People Magazine, said, “I sit in my house in Buffalo and sometimes I get so lonely it’s unbelievable. Life has been so good to me. I’ve got a great wife, good kids, my own health—and I’m lonely and bored. . .I often wondered why so many rich people commit suicide. Money sure isn’t the cure-all!”              The person who is condemned is the selfish person, the individual who is turned in upon himself, and the one who is commended is the outgoing person, the one who, for the sake of the love of Christ shown to him, now in turn loves the Lord and all those whom the Lord wants him to love, and who, in the process of doing this is even willing to suffer extreme personal affliction and, if need be, even death.                                                                                           A few examples of the persons here condemned: envious Cain (Gen. 4:1–8; I John 3:12), greedy Ahab and Jezebel (I Kings 21), haughty Haman (Esther 3:5; 5:9–14), vengeful King Herod I (Matt. 2:3, 16), perfidious Judas Iscariot (Matt. 26:14–16; Luke 22:47, 48).                                                                                           A few examples of those here commended: self-negating Judah (Gen. 44:18–34), noble Jonathan (I Sam. 18–20), the Good Samaritan of the parable (Luke 10:29–37), men like Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25–30) and Onesiphorus (II Tim. 1:16; 4:19), who were willing to risk everything for the sake of Christ’s cause, and humble, self-sacrificing Paul (Rom. 9:3; Gal. 4:19, 20; 6:14).

PRACTICAL LESSON 2 – SELF FIRST FORFEITS HIS SOUL                     Jesus, in this verse, is encouraging us to make the right choice because there is no temporal gain that can compare to a loss soul. What does it matter to have ease and comfort and popularity and beauty and prestige and success and power and influence if you don’t have true life?  Ask Solomon.                                                              "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose," so spoke Jim Elliot in his 20s. Such a principle of life appeared foolish to the world about him. But Elliot chose to pursue a higher calling and purpose in his life. He considered that the value of the soul, knowing Christ, and eternity to far outweigh all that the world offered.                                                           Many of you know the story, perhaps having read his journal or one of his wife, Elisabeth Elliot's books about Jim and his mission work. Jim Elliot graduated from Wheaton with a passion for the mission field. It never let up. But more than his passion for missions, his passion for Jesus Christ burned brightest. He faced struggles, trials, and temptations just like all of us. He wrestled for the college while maintaining excellence in his academic work. His eyes remained firmly set on the missionary call. All the while he understood that without progressing in the faith and growing in his devotion to Christ, that all of his sermons, service, and missionary zeal was vain.                                                          Finally, Jim arrived in Ecuador, and began preparation for reaching the primitive Quichua Indians, a tribe that had no dealings with the outside world. Stuck in a Stone Age time warp, the Quichua would either welcome or react to the intrusion of missionaries. Though a few appeared to welcome Jim Elliot and his four companions, their reaction came in a savage attack that left all five missionaries dead. The world cried "tragedy!" But eternity marked it quite differently. The Quichuas were eventually reached with the gospel, Jim's wife and daughter serving them as missionaries. Applicants for missionary posts surged. And even some of those that wielded the lances that speared Jim and his companions came to faith in Christ. Jim Elliot practiced what he preached: "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." He might have lost the world but he found more riches than any of us can ever imagine.                                                            Cecil Rhodes helped to carve out the politics and business of South Africa. He was wealthy, famous, and powerful. One evening, he happened to be in the company of Bramwell Booth, son of the founder of the Salvation Army. General Booth was in the next compartment of the train, and the son and Rhodes were together. Booth leaned over to Rhodes and asked, “Mr. Rhodes, are you a happy man?”                                                                                   The man seemed to be surrounded by depression and gloom. Rhodes gripped the arms of the seat and said, “Happy? I, happy? No!” Booth then told the powerful world figure that there was only one place to find real happiness. “That is down at the feet of the crucified Savior, because it is only there we can be freed from our sins.”                                                                                     “Yes,” Rhodes said quietly, and then he added: “I would give all I possess to believe what that old man in the next carriage believes!”                                                                                                            If you throw your life away in this world, you will be bankrupt forever. But if you abandon your life and give it to Jesus Christ, you'll be rich forever. And He may choose to pour out some of those riches to you in this life as well.

PRACTICAL LESSON 3 – SELF FIRST DETERMINES HIS DESTINY                                                                                                     In these final two verses, Jesus is going to reign and will judge according to the principle of self-denial. No one will escape judgment. Now, verse 27, is not teaching salvation by works, because all through Scripture we are taught salvation is by grace through faith. But we are judged for our works because they prove that we belong to Christ. Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”                                        God's judgment is two-fold. Luke emphasizes the shame the ungodly will feel (Luke 9:26). They will be judged according to their works and sent to hell. Believers also will be judged, but they will be rewarded according to their works. We will receive crowns if we have been faithful.                                                                                I saw a special last night on A & E on the life of Cassius Clay or Muhammed Ali. In the 1960s you’ll remember, he converted to the Nation of Islam.  And they were describing the teacher of the founder of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Mohammed.  And one of the central tenants of his teaching was that there is no heaven, there is no hell.  All the heaven that there is, all the hell that there is, is here and now.  And you either have your heaven here and now, or you have your hell here and now, it’s up to you.  And his argument was, there were some people who are experiencing their heaven now and there are some people who are experiencing hell now.  And the important thing to do in life if to make sure that you experience your heaven now.  That is exactly opposite from the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is saying, my friends, ‘The reign and the reward which you are longing for is not going to come in this phase of the kingdom.’  For now, we are the church militant. For now, we are the church persecuted.  For now, we are the church suffering.  Then, will be the glory.  Then, will be the reward.                                                                                               This week there was speculation that al Queda would attack a Los Angeles mall. The speculations called for great vigilance with security forces diligently checking out any possibility of an attack. But thankfully, it didn't happen. I think it is safe to say that at minimum, the diligence shown by the law enforcement and security personnel stayed the plans of the terrorists. Men will go to great lengths, and rightly so, to stop the attack of terrorists upon their property and lives. But the same men will not give even a trifling thought to a much more certain event-the Judgment of God.                                                                               Jesus is saying to the crowd, "You better give up your life, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you don't, a day is coming when you'll be cast into hell." To the disciples He is saying, "You better be faithful to deny yourself, take up your cross, and live in obedience because a day is coming when you'll be rewarded." The man who selfishly clings to his life--whose overwhelming concern is comfort, security, prosperity, and self-indulgence--is an eternal pauper. The man who gives his life for Christ--who abandons himself to the will of God--will be a prince with God forever. Only a fool struggles with that kind of choice. Nevertheless there will be those who, as in Jeremiah's day, forsake "the fountain of living waters, and [hew] out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jer. 2:13).

            Have you played around with your soul? Have you taken eternal issues lightly in favor of pursuing your own selfish desires? My friend, if so, you are a poor businessperson! Your bargain will turn to eternal loss. Christ has warned you and now calls you to come after Him.